Radiology Technologist
Salary

Average Radiology Technologists in the United States make around $22.02 per hour. Pay generally varies between $16.74 per hour and $30.25. Residence is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by years of experience. Health benefits are not enjoyed by everyone in this line of work, and roughly one in four lack any coverage at all. Medical benefits are reported by a strong majority and dental coverage is claimed by the larger part. Work is enjoyable for Radiology Technologists, who typically claim high levels of job satisfaction. Respondents to the PayScale salary survey provided the data for this report.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Find Out Exactly What You Should Be Paid

Job Description for Radiology Technologist

A radiology technologist works in a clinical environment (such as a hospital) that uses x-rays, radiological equipment, and fluroscoping equipment. They work alongside clinicians and doctors to ensure that the physicians receive necessary diagnostic imaging required to administer treatment. They also work with with patients in a friendly, compassionate manner as they get the equipment poised to shoot at the proper angles while causing the least amount of discomfort possible.

The radiology technologist also ensures that the film is developed properly and presents clear, usable information for the medical professionals using it to help make treatment decisions. They are also responsible for labeling the film and categorizing it. This imaging must then be integrated into the patient’s records accurately, which is another responsibility of the radiological technician. Additionally, the radiology technician is expected to follow organizational standards and practices to ensure patient safety; radiological equipment can be dangerous if used incorrectly, and the technician must follow all procedures to make sure ensure patient safety during these diagnostic procedures. They must also follow standards related to patient confidentiality.

Radiology technologists normally receive technical or vocational school education for this job. Additionally, there are a variety of certifications required for technicians, and these certifications and accompanying testing must be periodically renewed and kept up to date. Radiology techs may work a variety of hours. In clinics, for example, the technician may work regular business hours; in a hospital setting, they may work shifts during or outside of regular business hours.

Radiology Technologist Tasks

Use radiation safety measures and protection devices for government regulations and patient safety.

As a trained technologist, operate radiology equipment to produce images of the body for diagnostic purposes under direction of a physician.

Explain process and position patient for scan; adjusting restriction devices; moving and adjusting equipment to set exposure factors.

Monitor video display of area being scanned and adjust density or contrast to improve picture quality.

Review and evaluate film and images to determine if images are satisfactory for diagnostic purposes.

Common Career Paths for Radiology Technologist

Plan your career path. Drag job titles to investigate a particular path and click on a link to see where particular career can lead.

Radiology Technologists' salaries may rise greatly for those who assume a higher-end position such as a Radiology Manager. The average Radiology Manager brings home $70K per year. Typical career progression for a Radiology Technologist involves becoming a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist or a Computed Tomography Technologist, roles that pay $12K more and $7K more on average.

Radiology Technologist Job Listings

Search for more jobs:

Job Title/Company

Location

Popular Skills for Radiology Technologist

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Radiology Technologists seem to require a number of specific skills. Most notably, facility with mammography, Bone Density, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are correlated to pay that is significantly above average, leading to increases of 21 percent, 19 percent, and 8 percent, respectively. Skills that pay less than market rate include Phlebotomy. The majority of those who know Picture Archival Computer System also know Operating Room / OR.

Pay by Experience Level for Radiology Technologist

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Radiology Technologists, more experience in the field does not usually mean bigger paychecks. Relatively untried employees who have fewer than five years of experience earn around $42K on average. People who have worked for five to 10 years can expect a higher median salary of $47K. The average pay reported by folks with 10 to 20 years of experience is around $53K. More than 20 years of experience mean a somewhat bigger median paycheck of $56K, but it's not much more than what less experienced people make.

Pay Difference by Location

New York offers some of the highest pay in the country for Radiology Technologists, 33 percent above the national average. Radiology Technologists can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like Chicago (+30 percent), Philadelphia (+12 percent), Los Angeles (+11 percent), and Fort Worth (+6 percent). Colorado Springs is the lowest-paying area, 14 percent south of the national average. Employers also pay below the national average in Orlando (11 percent lower) and Miami (5 percent lower).